1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an intelligent workspace environment and, more particularly, to the application of information systems and electronic controls to cubicle and/or office partitions in order to optimize privacy, control lighting and sound, and thus increase the comfort level of those occupying the workspace.
2. Background Description
The most common complaints in the workspace environment are privacy, noise, lighting, air flow and temperature. These issues are distracting to workers in a cubicle workspace environment. Typically, the cubicle workspace provides a uniform work environment with partial-height partitions and uniform workspace environment. This does not meet individual worker""s needs. Optimizing the workspace comfort level can raise worker""s productivity. Additionally, there are times when group interactions are required and privacy must be minimized to increase worker productivity.
This present invention allows the occupant of a cubicle or office to activate transparent partitions which can partially or completely enclose a cubicle and/or office to minimize noise, optimize privacy, lighting, air flow and temperature. This transparent partition is coated with a thin layer material (e.g., Liquid Crystal Polymer, Electrochromic, or Electrophoretic material) connected to electrodes. Once the occupant decides that changing working conditions (e.g., minimize noise, optimize privacy, adjust lighting, air flow and/or temperature) is needed, the occupant can activate the thin transparency control layer by appropriate electronic control. Movable parts of the partitions may also be adjusted. The transparent partitions may be made darker or opaque. Movable partitions may be used to provide optimized privacy, noise level, lighting, air flow and temperature control. Conversely, the partitions may be made transparent and movable sections retracted to permit greater worker-to-worker interaction.
The invention comprises the following system elements:
1. The transparent partitions may be single or multilayer glass or fiber glass or transparent polymeric materials (e.g, Plexiglass) coated with a thin layer of material (e.g. Liquid Crystal Polymer, Electrochromic or Electrophoretic materials). The transparent partitions become opaque, when an appropriate electronic signal is sent through the thin layer of material.
2. The transparent partitions can be installed at a fixed position, or/and it can be installed at a movable location. For example, the fixed transparent partition can be like a traditional cubicle or office partitions. The movable transparent partitions can be hidden inside transparent or traditional partitions, ceiling or walls, when the movable transparent partitions are not in use. The cubicle or office becomes partially or completely enclosed based on the occupant""s preference to suit individual-defined comfort in the workspace environment (e.g., privacy, lighting, noise level, air flow and temperature), when the movable transparent partitions equipped with motorized automation are activated.
3. A local information system (e.g., client, desktop computer, workstation) is used to control the motorized or movable transparent partitions. The information system needs to receive sensing information from sensors which monitor noise level, brightness, air flow/temperature. The movable transparent partitions controlled by the information system can be activated based on the default setting in the information system which monitors the inputs from the environmental sensors. The system can be activated based on an occupant""s command.
4. The local computing system can communicate with a central information system (e.g., a server) via a network (e.g., an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN), a Token-Ring LAN, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)) which allows the central information system to monitor and control the moveable transparent partitions. For examples, in the case of an emergency (e.g., a fire) it may be necessary to change the deployment of the partitions.
5. The movable transparent partitions may use wireless communication capability to transmit and receive wireless data. An example of such wireless communications is a system based on the Bluetooth wireless standard which may be embedded in the local information system. A mobile computing device, e.g., a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with wireless capability may be employed to control the movable transparent partitions.
The invention comprises the following method of use: When the occupant initiates a command stream to activate the transparent partitions (either fixed or movable) via either wireless communication from the PDA or directly from the local computing system, the appropriate signal will activate the transparent thin layer of coated material to make it opaque. Additional commands will be attached to the command stream to enclose, partially or completely, the cubicle or office using the movable transparent partitions. The PDA will broadcast its information (e.g., command, environmental parameter settings) over a radio channel to a device in the local computing system (e.g., contains control, interface and driver circuits) to control the transparent partitions. In order to be sure that the information is transmitted from the occupant of the cubicle or office, an authentication process will be conducted to check the digital keys. All the status information (e.g., the partitions are open or closed, transparent or opaque, malfunction status of parts) of the transparent partitions will be transmitted back to the local computing system. In turn, a copy of the status information will be transferred to the central information system for updating the server database.
The activation of the transparent partitions can also be initiated automatically based on the default environmental setting in the local computing system. The default environmental setting can be directly set from the local computing system, from the central computing system (i.e., server) or via wireless communication from the PDA. The default environmental setting may consist of the cubicle environment parameters, such as noise level, brightness, air flow/temperature, and it also may include the time (e.g., too much reflected natural light at 2:00 PM) and date to activate the transparent partitions, how much to close the transparent partitions (e.g., partial or complete closure). The ability to control the environmental setting empowers individuals to define their own workspace comfort.